Dozens marched on Thursday evening in Istanbul city to mark the 8th anniversary of the Israeli raid on the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara while it was carrying humanitarian aid on its way to Gaza.

The marchers condemned the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Palestinian people, chanted slogans in support of Jerusalem and the Palestinian resistance, and raised Palestinian flags and portraits of those killed in Marmara massacre.

Addressing the crowd, head of the Istanbul-based Humanitarian Relief Foundation (İHH) Bulent Yildirim hailed the Palestinian people in Gaza, saying that Gaza is the guard of Jerusalem and that the struggle against the occupation will continue until Jerusalem is liberated.

For her part, Palestinian researcher Amal Khalifa told Anadolu Agency, "I came here to join the Turkish people in commemorating the 8th anniversary of the Israeli attack on Mavi Marmara."

Khalifa praised the Turkish youths' role in raising awareness about the situation of Jerusalem and al-Aqsa Mosque.

On 31st May 2010, the Israeli navy killed 10 Turkish activists and injured 56 others on Mavi Marmara ship which was part of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla which was sailing toward Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid.

Mavi Marmara set off from Larnaca Port in Cyprus after months of preparations carrying 750 activists from 37 countries, most of whom are from Turkey, in addition to humanitarian aid to those besieged in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli naval forces intercepted a boat that set out from Gaza shores on Tuesday in hopes of breaking Israel’s decade-long blockade of the Gaza Strip.

In a statement, National Committee for Breaking Gaza’s Siege said Israeli naval vessels had surrounded the boat nearly four hours after sailing into Gaza’s sea.

The PIC reporter, who was escorting the voyage in another boat till it reached the end of the fishing zone allowed by Israel, said that the boat was surrounded roughly 11 nautical miles off Gaza’s coast.

However, spokesperson for the committee Adham Abu Silmiyya affirmed that the boat was attacked by four Israeli war vessels 14 nautical miles off Gaza’s coast before being towed to Israel’s port of Ashdod.

He held Israel “fully responsible” for the safety of everyone aboard the boat, going on to urge the international community to extend protection to the beleaguered Palestinian people.

The boat set out from Gaza on Tuesday carrying 20 Palestinian passengers, including university students, patients seeking treatment abroad, and Palestinians injured by recent Israeli violence near the Gaza-Israel borders.

According to organizers, Tuesday's bid to break the blockade roughly coincides with the eighth anniversary of the Mavi Marmara incident (May 31, 2010), in which nine Turkish activists were killed by Israeli forces in international waters (with a tenth activist later succumbing to injuries).

Two main vessels accompanied by smaller boats left the Gaza Strip's shore on Tuesday in a bid to break the 12-year-long blockade imposed on the coastal enclave.

Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that the Israeli naval forces are preparing to intercept the boats.

The first-of-its-kind flotilla is carrying dozens of students, cancer patients, people with injuries, and others with humanitarian cases who need to leave Gaza as soon as possible.

Head of the Higher Commission of the Great Return March and Breaking the Siege Khaled al-Batsh said, "Our aim is to send a message to the world and human rights advocates to intervene and break the siege on Gaza."

Al-Batsh also called on the international community to provide protection to the boats and the Palestinians participating in the campaign.

The Higher Commission has earlier said that this trip will carry the hopes and dreams of two million Palestinians for freedom.

Yedioth Ahronoth said that Hamas plans to send at least three fishing boats from Gaza port toward Cyprus, adding that this "provocative move" could turn into violence especially that boats in Gaza are limited to six nautical miles offshore.

Higher National Committee for the Great Return March and Breaking the Siege on Sunday announced that the Gaza Strip will set off a new flotilla of ships on Tuesday in a bid to break the 12-year-long blockade on the coastal enclave.

The Committee said in a press conference that Tuesday's trip will coincide with the anniversary of the Israeli attack on the Turkish Mavi Marmara flotilla.

"This trip will carry the hopes and dreams of the Palestinian people for freedom," Salah Abdul-Ati, a member of the Committee, said, calling on international human rights organizations to provide protection to the anti-siege ships.

Abdul-Ati pointed out that the ongoing blockade and the three Israeli wars waged against Gaza in the past decade have led to a serious and an unprecedented deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the seaside territory.

He also asked Arab and international media outlets to cover the event and help convey its message to the world.